


Hand In My Hand

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Chuck Hansen Swears, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Prompt Fic, Raleigh Becket is a Dork, Sickfic, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 23:15:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13421682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: Raleigh's a handyman; he fixes things, not people, as a general rule.Somehow Chuck Hansen breaks all of his rules and then some.





	Hand In My Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lizlybear](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizlybear/gifts).



> So, I actually had quite a bit of fun with this and I'm glad lizlybear promoted me over on the Tumbls! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Raleigh's in the middle of setting up the music for the piano when Hansen, their bartender for the night, cleared his throat behind Raleigh. 

"You need help cutting the citrus?" He asked sympathetically. 

All the bartenders hate citrus and Raleigh's pretty good with a knife. 

The only problem was that Hansen didn't ask for help. 

Like... _Ever_. 

"Yeah, actually. I, err, I've been meanin' t' talk with you." Hansen relented, his broad shoulders slumping in a show of emotion Raleigh didn't expect. 

"Oh?" Raleigh arranged the music and left the wide performance platform, careful to step over the wires the sound crew hid under the rich red carpet. "Any reason in particular?" 

The other man handed over a knife, a cutting board and a bag of mixed citrus. "Look, I know I'm not... the most social." 

Raleigh snorted at that, "No shit." 

"Oi, fuck off yeah? I'm _trying_ here." Hansen growled defensively before he sighed. "I've got a problem." 

"... And you think I can fix it?" He countered dryly as he sliced the fruits into multi-colored discs. "I know I'm the bar's handyman and all but uh, I normally don't fix **people** as a rule." 

"Yes." The blunt honesty has Raleigh setting down his knife and turning to face Hansen. "Look, you're pretty enough that my Dad might be fooled inta thinkin' we're datin', alright? He knows I don't swing too often the other way and Mako's like my sister so I can't ask _her_ an' the rest of the bartenders-" 

Raleigh held up a hand and mulled it over, parsing out the basics of it in under two minutes. It wasn't exactly a secret that Raleigh appreciated multiple types of people. Hansen might've been a surly jerk but damn if he didn't fill out his bar polo shirt nicely. "You want me to date you... because your Dad is a hard ass?" 

"Look, he's coming to visit in a few months an' he keeps a hairy eyeball on my social media, yeah? He knows when I'm not datin' and he gets all sad an' mopey like he didn't do a job 'n a half raising me. My old man wants to see me happy. So... are you in or what?" Hansen grumbled even as he rubbed at his nose. 

Raleigh thought of his Maman, in remission, being overjoyed that her middle child finally found someone. 

"I'll make you a deal," He allowed carefully, "if this is for your Dad, then it's also gotta be for my Maman. She's in remission and now she's tryin' to meddle in my love-life. You break her heart and I'll break your face. I'll pretend to date your ass for her sake if nothing else." 

"What about...?"

Raleigh gritted his teeth and sucked in a calming breath. "Let's just say he's a bastard." 

"... Oh. I guess we need to outline what's not okay to touch as a topic." Hansen pointed out. 

"Yeah, might be a good idea." He admitted. 

"For starters, don't ask about Mum and I won't ask about the rat bastard." 

"Got it." 

"By the way... M' name's Chuck." Chuck held out his hand and Raleigh shook it. 

"Raleigh."

* * *

Chuck, for all of his asshole tendencies, was pretty decent with the whole dating thing. 

Once Raleigh got past the scowl and the snark and the Alaskan-sized chip on his shoulder, that is. 

He'd even bothered to ask Raleigh for his favorite flower (sunflowers) and had presented them with a scowl at the start of their next 'date'. 

Somewhere along the way, dating Chuck had become less obligation and started to feel like... something Raleigh shouldn't enjoy as much as he did. 

He shouldn't enjoy the under-the-breath quips that were so sarcastic that Raleigh actually cracked up laughing when he caught them. 

He shouldn't sneak glances when Chuck closed his eyes and reveled in the wind coming off of the sea. 

He shouldn't save a sunflower from each bouquet Chuck "remembered" to bring. 

Raleigh spun a thick stem between his fingers and quietly admitted to himself that if he fell in love with Chuck, it might not be so bad. 

It wasn't like the ginger bastard would ever _return_ his feelings after all.

* * *

Raleigh was one of, it turned out, a lucky _three_ people who had Chuck's phone number. 

""So, Chuck hasn't called in and I have it on good authority that you're dating. I got the Kaidonovskies to cover his shift but could you do us all a huge favor and go check on him?"" Sergio asked. ""He's never done this before so I'm a little worried."" 

"I'm on it, Serg. I'll let you know what's up, okay?" Raleigh hummed and then scrubbed a hand down his face as he texted Chuck. 

_Raleigh: Where r u?_

It took near five minutes for Chuck to respond, which was way longer than his usual five seconds. 

**Chuck: m sick**

**Chuck: don't come over**

**Chuck: if I die u get my dog**

He snorted, texting as he grabbed his jacket, his scarf and his washable surgical mask Mako had given him for his birthday. 

_Raleigh: drama llama_

_Raleigh: Ur not gonna die_

_Raleigh: I'm coming over_

Chuck appeared to rouse at that. 

**Chuck: NO**

If Chuck thought he could out-stubborn Raleigh, he had another thing coming. 

_Raleigh: YES_

_Raleigh: I'm making you homemade soup_

_Raleigh: u giant wiener_

Chuck didn't respond for several moments as if shocked that Raleigh would do something that nice. 

**Chuck: U need my address**

**Chuck: Or did u expect to kno**

**Chuck: where I live, u wanker**

He did laugh at that, midway through testing a tomato with his fingers. 

_Raleigh: I could ask Mako_

_Raleigh: She'll provide the info_

_Raleigh: with half the hassle that_

_Raleigh: Ur giving me_

_Raleigh: btw_

_Raleigh: R u allergic to tomato?_

His phone buzzed with the response as Raleigh finished grocery shopping. 

**Chuck: no, not allergic to tomato**

**Chuck: pick up some tissue**

As though he sensed he was being a little rude, he followed it with another text. 

**Chuck: ... pls?**

Raleigh shook his head, flicked on his voice-to-text app and said, "Already on it period. Send." 

Chuck sent the address and Raleigh pulled over into a gas station to input the address. He paused, contemplated labeling it 'U Grumpy Bastard' and then grinned at it occurred to him. 

Chuck's address ended up as 'My Dumbass <3' because it made him smile fondly.

* * *

An English bulldog sat in his way, Raleigh's arms aching as the grocery bags creaked. 

"Uh, hi, pup. Could you do me a favor—" 

"Max, get." Chuck rasped, poking his dog with his socked foot to let Raleigh into his apartment. 

He toed off his boots out of habit and nudged them into a vaguely neat pile near the door. 

Raleigh set all the bags down, found the trash can and the fridge and got to work. 

By the time the tomato soup was bubbling on the stove, Chuck had been served eucalyptus tea, meds and tissues, in that order. 

Raleigh absently texted Sergio as he watched his soup, keeping half an eye on a bemused and snuffling Chuck. He reigned in the urge to kiss the frown off of Chuck's face. 

Chuck frowned and then wrote on the whiteboard Raleigh had brought from home. 

'What? Do I have something in my face?' 

"Nah. Just an old habit from when my sister was sick. She'd sneak off the couch and then get me sick cause she likes to cuddle when she's loopy on meds." He deflected as he poked at the soup. 

The squeak of the marker was proceeded by Chuck gathering his blanket nest and sitting on the tall chair next to the counter. 

'U have siblings?' 

"Mm, two. Yancy's the oldest and Jazzy's the youngest. I'm the middle kiddo." 

'Why tomato soup?' 

"I'll have you know that Maman _and_ my Mémé would skin me alive if I fed you anything else aside from this. It's supposed to be loaded with nutrients and good protein to help you get better." He countered with a raised brow.

'Meme??' 

"French for Grandma. Maman is Mom." Raleigh explained. He pulled out the bacon, frowned and asked, "Where's your frying pan?" 

'Under the stove.' 

"... You don't cook, clearly, cause otherwise you'd know that that's the broiler, not a drawer. Also, these are really nice pans and it's a shame they don't get used more often." He talked mostly to himself but Chuck blew a raspberry from behind the covers. "It's true." 

'Don't b rude. It's my space u know.' 

"Supposed to be our space, remember? Shit, should I move in?" Raleigh asked and Chuck shook his head hard enough to negate that. 

'NO.' 

Chuck wrote quickly and then thrust it out as Raleigh patted the bacon to get the excess grease off. 

'I'm already regretting asking u, alright? The last thing I need is to see u in ur undies. I bet u wear whities.' 

"Hey! I wear boxer briefs, you jerk. Tightey-whities are soooo last season. Also, Jazz would murder me for that fashion crime. She's majoring in it and if I'm related to her, I'm gonna not cause her pain by dressing, and I quote, 'like a fisherman with no sense'. She's already tried to kill my sweaters, okay?" Raleigh grumbled as he dumped most of the bacon into the soup. 

'Wait. Seriously?' 

"Yeah, seriously." 

'Ur jumpers r how I know it's u. No one else at the bar wears them like u do.' If Raleigh tilted it right, it might've been a compliment but Chuck didn't do those. 

"Uhhhh, thanks, I think. Now, eat your soup and rest some more, alright?" Raleigh served up a decent bowl that would go down well with Chuck and reserved the rest of the soup in the pot, closing it with a lid. "Don't even think about ruining my soup by sticking it in the microwave. Heat it up on the stove on low." He looked at Max. "Do I need to take Max for a poop?" 

'Probably. His lead's in the hall.' 

Raleigh grabbed the red leash and Max was suddenly at his feet, butt wagging furiously. 

He barely had room to tug on his boots. 

"I'll be back! Finish that soup, Chuck!" The door closed with a clunk behind him. He laughed when Max tugged him down the street, barely giving him time to shrug on his jacket and wrap his scarf up the right way. 

"Is that Max I hear?" Max boofed and somehow his butt wiggled even harder. "It is~" An older woman was sitting on the porch, her hands cradling a warm drink with a blanket in her lap. "Oh! You're not Chuck!" 

"Ahh, no. He's sick," Raleigh mentioned with a shrug, his muscles straining as Max tugged on the leash in this woman's direction. "Max, pas maintenant*." He chided. 

"You must be that friend of his." 

"... Umm," Raleigh's face heated up as he thought about Chuck, who was probably miserably eating his soup and scrubbed at the back of his neck. 

"Oh, I see. How long?" Her confidential tone made Raleigh want to combust from embarassment. 

"Coupla months," he choked out, "Gotta go, ma'am, Max is, umm..." 

"Go on. Chuck's got himself a keeper! You tell him Mrs. Gage said so, okay?" 

"Yes, ma'am." Raleigh agreed as Max tugged on the leash again.

* * *

"Chuck, I swear to God that you've got the nosiest neighbors—" Raleigh froze at the sight of a man who could only be Chuck's Dad. 

He let Max off the leash on autopilot after he closed the door, hanging it up like he'd seen it earlier. Raleigh kicked off his boots again and set them against the foyer frame, this time a great deal neater than they'd been before. 

"You must be Raleigh," the man said as though he hadn't thrown their whole plan out of wack. "I'm Herc." 

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." He let his manners take over, a smile on his face as he shook the offered hand. "Can I get you anything? Tea, coffee?" 

'Dad doesn't do tea.' When the whiteboard popped up from the couch, it seemed Chuck had retreated back with his blanket nest. 

"Mm, coffee then?" Raleigh hummed as Herc looked between them. "Milk? Creamer?" 

"Creamer, if you don't mind." 

He busied himself preparing two cups of coffee and then dug into the supplies he'd organized on the counter, muttering to himself in Korean as he read the instructions for the citron tea he'd brought over. 

"Coffee 'n creamer for us, tea for Chuck. Don't make that face. It's gonna feel nice and it's yuzu, vaguely lemony with honey." He sat next to Chuck, reaching to adjust the blankets and handing over the tea. 

'Ur gonna get sick.' 

"Mmm, yeah, probably. Do I look like I mind?" Raleigh pointed out as he gently pecked Chuck on the lips. Chuck grumbled wordlessly but snuggled closer as he drank his tea. He made a noise of surprise at the taste and looked at Raleigh with a wordless question. "So-Yi suggested it when I dropped by the bar. Y'know, half of them thought you got in a fight or dropped off the face of the planet. Being sick never even occurred to them."

'Liar.' 

"No, that's what you get when literally three people have your number, you dumbass." He bickered back, looking up when a muffled laugh brought him back to their current situation. 

Right. 

Chuck's _Dad_. 

"Y'know, I almost didn't believe my son when he said he was dating someone. He works hard and doesn't remember to leave time for himself but I can see he's in good hands with you." The pride Herc had for his son was clear in nearly every word he spoke. 

"Yeah, well I could've said the same a while back. Chuck's sweet under like, fifteen layers of asshole, but you gotta have enough patience for the layers." Raleigh ribbed Chuck gently, letting himself touch instead of shying away from Chuck. They had to make this _convincing_ —At least that was how he justified it to himself. "Mmm, you've got a fever." He told Chuck as he brushed the damp ginger hair away from Chuck's forehead. 

'No shit, u wanker. What r u doing?' 

Raleigh leaned in close and whispered his answer, "I'm being your boyfriend, hell practically the perfect one. The least your dumbass could do is play along, right?" 

Chuck huffed at that and leaned into the casual touch. 'whatever. R we still doing that ice thing?' 

"Like I'm gonna miss the chance to see you fall on your ass?" Raleigh teased. "We'll just have to reschedule for when you're better." 

"I'll leave you two to be cutesy." Herc chuckled and Raleigh nearly face palmed. 

They were totally—"Oh God, I'm the worst host-" 

'Sorry Dad.' 

"Don't be sorry. You two remind me of a better time." Herc only smiled at them and let himself out, nudging Max away from the door with his foot out of years of practice. 

Raleigh practically turned the air blue with French curses before he sighed. "At least your Dad's convinced?" 

"Why'd you kiss me?" Chuck's voice, as raspy as it was, caught his attention immediately. 

"We're supposed to be dating. If I really was your boyfriend, I wouldn't let a cold keep me from kissing you. You were just so adorably grumpy," Raleigh replied before he caught what came out of his mouth. "I-I mean, I've gone and done it with my other relationships, y'know, so I thought you wouldn't mind—" 

"Raleigh." Chuck's gaze cut off his voice faster than anything else. "Did you call me adorably grumpy?" 

"No," he denied it quickly, valiantly trying to ignore how his face felt like it was on fire. 

"You sure?" 

"Yes!"

"Raleigh, I-" 

"I think I might be in love with you." He blurted and then slapped both of his hands over his mouth in shock. 

Oh he was so _screwed_ ; Chuck was going to break off their agreement, break up with him even though they weren't really dating and **why** did that thought _hurt so much_? 

Raleigh made to stand, one foot planted on the floor when Chuck's hand shot out and grabbed the front of his sweater. 

"I thought it was hopeless," Chuck coughed before he continued hoarsely. "that there was no way in a million years that sunshine personified would ever like me enough, but you said... You said you're in love with me." 

Huh. Weren't they a match made in heaven; oblivious as hell until one of them confessed. 

Raleigh settled back into the blankets and whispered, "'Sunshine personified'? Really?" 

"Don't you start, _Rah_ leigh." 

"Well, since we're _actually_ dating, there **is** a way to shut me up." 

He was going to regret it later, he knew, but the feel of Chuck's tongue in his mouth over-rode the resignation of being sick right along with his boyfriend.

* * *

Mako only laughed when Raleigh whined about being sick.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect. 
> 
> *pas maintenant - not now in French


End file.
